India’s first major leaguer Roker puts on ‘7K show’ in debut

The first player of Indian descent in the 148-year history of Major League Baseball (MLB) has made his debut. The star is Kumar Rocker, a pitcher for the Texas Rangers. Rocker started the game on Friday against the Seattle Mariners, pitching four innings, recording seven strikeouts, two walks, and allowing three hits (one home run) and one run, contributing to his team's five-four victory.

Rocker, who finished his debut game with his parents watching, said, "It will be especially meaningful to my mother, who always emphasized my Indian heritage." Rocker was born to his mother, Lu, who comes from an Indian immigrant family in the U.S., and his father, Tracy, a former NFL player. His name, Kumar, means "prince" in Hindi. Lu expressed her emotions, saying, "When Kumar was two years old, I once told my husband, 'He's going to be an MLB pitcher,' and now it's become a reality."

In 2018, during his senior year of high school, Rocker was drafted by the Colorado Rockies as the 1,146th overall pick in the MLB Draft, but he chose to attend college instead. In 2019, he led Vanderbilt University to a National Collegiate Athletic Association World Series championship. The New York Mets selected him as the 10th overall pick in the 2021 draft, but he didn’t sign due to a shoulder injury. After undergoing surgery and recovering, he was drafted third overall by the Texas Rangers in 2022, allowing him to begin his professional career. However, his MLB debut was delayed as he underwent Tommy John surgery for an elbow ligament injury.

Rocker said, "The journey to get here hasn't been easy, but I've worked hard because I wanted to make my parents proud. I gave up a home run while throwing fastballs today, but once I fully regain my form, I'll be able to show an even better performance."


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com